Activism

​Demands for a New Status Quo

Activism is often looked upon as an event outside of the normal flow of history. This is not true. Activism is a part of history. Time and time again, people have fought for fair treatment and equal access. These efforts all culminate into the liberties and resources that we enjoy today. Duke has a rich history of activism that contributes to the University's current diversity and prestige -- a history that is inseparable from its institutional legacy.

In 1979, six Ku Klux Klan defendants involved in the murder of five protestors in Greensboro, NC -- including two Duke alumni -- were acquitted. Student protestors urged for the University to respond, but the University refused.

Official accounts of the Silent Vigil of 1968 recognize it as a student-led movement. These accounts, however, fail to properly credit the central role of AFSCME Local 77, the university workers' union, founded in 1965 by Oliver Harvey among others.

Duke janitor Oliver Harvey (center) was among the most prominent organizers of Local 77. Image courtesy of Bill Boyarsky.